Safety

Teen Climbs Through School Bus Roof Hatch, Runs Away From School

A student in Pennsylvania reportedly climbed through the roof hatch of a bus, yelled at school staff from the roof, and then climbed back in before fleeing.

MANHEIM, Pa. — A teenager here ran away from school shortly after climbing onto the roof of a school bus on Monday, police said.

The incident occurred on Monday morning in the parking lot of Community School West, which serves students with behavioral and emotional challenges. School police reported that a 15-year-old student climbed through the roof hatch of a bus and stood on top of the bus, where he yelled at school staff. Then he climbed back into the bus through the roof hatch.

According to school police, the teen exited the bus and moved toward the school with other students, but then he fled from the property. He was last seen heading away from the school on an adjacent road.

School police reported the incident to the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department, which issued a press release on Monday with a description of the missing student.

On Tuesday at 2 p.m., the police department reported that the student had been found.

“This child was unharmed and in the custody of his parent when located,” police said.

The school bus in the incident is owned by the Hempfield School District. Police said that the student caused some damage to the bus, but the press release did not elaborate on the damage or provide an estimate of the cost.

The school is operated by Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, an agency that provides educational services and programs for school districts in two counties.

In a statement provided to Lancaster Online, a spokeswoman for Intermediate Unit 13 said that when the student was arriving at the school, he "became agitated, which resulted in him causing damage to a bus and ultimately fleeing the school." The spokeswoman also commented on the school staff's response to the incident.

"The staff are highly trained in helping students during times of distress and, when necessary, contact the local authorities for assistance," she said in the statement. "As always, we appreciate the support of the local authorities for responding to these calls and working with us to support the educational needs of the students.”